Seasonal Depression Research Report

You’re feeling sad at this time of year, and the SAD name is fitting—it seems to go hand in hand with the challenge you’re facing. But rest assured that you’re not alone—experiencing winter blues or SAD is quite common. Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include low moods/sadness, less energy and more fatigue/lethargy, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, social problems, mood changes, sleep problems, and cravings for sweets/carbohydrates. 

Winter blues typically start up as the days grow shorter in the fall (around October, give or take) and can last right through until spring (April or so). The duration and severity can vary from person to person, depending on various factors, including how long or short the winter season lasts where a person lives. The worst months tend to be December, January, and February. 

Why Do More People Feel Sad During the Winter?

Research shows that lack of sunlight during the winter, because of fewer daylight hours, results in an imbalance in the brain and a disruption in the body’s internal clock. This could be related to the altered production of the hormone melatonin, as a result of less daylight. So this form of depression is directly tied to less light, as well as circadian rhythms. SAD has also been found to possibly link back to altered serotonin (a neurotransmitter) levels in the brain. 

The good news is that the research points to the causes of SAD, and those causes in turn point to potential solutions. That is, treating the cause (lack of light and disrupted body rhythms) provides an excellent remedy. (More information on treatments will be provided later in this article.) 

Who Gets the Winter Blues? 

Why do so many people get the winter blues, and who tends to struggle with it more? Official statistics vary, in terms of percentages of populations that have winter blues or SAD. A higher percentage of females than males tend to face SAD. More younger (ages 15 to 50s) than older people deal with it. However, people of any age, including children, can have symptoms of SAD. 

Some might automatically assume that SAD strikes only those who live in northern areas of the globe that receive little sunlight. Certain studies indicate that winter blues is in fact increasingly common in more northern locations, and places further away from the equator. This could be related to less sunlight/daylight during the winter in those locations. Interestingly, though, some research shows that even people in places like Texas can get the winter blues. And some research does not indicate that people in more northern latitudes experience more SAD. For example, one study indicated that people in northern Norway, where there is no sunlight for weeks during the winters, do not seem to deal with SAD symptoms. 

Some researchers speculate that people in some of the more northern locations have adapted to the seasonal changes and long winters, or that certain ethnic groups fare better and are less affected by SAD. 

A recent study showed that the retina sensitivity in the eyes of some people who have SAD is related to them experiencing SAD. 

How Can You Offset These Wintry Doldrums?

Although winter blues can seriously impact a person’s life, there are treatments for dealing with it that have been shown in research to be effective. 

Conventional medical practice tends to treat mood fluctuations, such as SAD, with medications like antidepressants, but these don’t address the cause and instead simply mask symptoms. They also tend to have side effects, some of which can be dangerous. A better approach is to address the cause of SAD and to treat the body in gentle, safe, and supportive ways. 

Do what you can to give your body what it needs and what’s naturally lacking in the winter, especially the benefits of light and sun, including light therapy and vitamin D.  

Because SAD is a form of depression, addressing it involves many treatments that are also helpful for all types of depression. Here are some specific treatment ideas, to get you started. 

1. Diet

Although a person with winter blues tends to crave sweets and simple carbohydrates, these are some of the worst foods to include in a diet that aims to combat the symptoms of SAD. So try to limit intake of these. Instead, the dietary focus should be on healthy fats (such as olive, flax, and coconut oils) and whole foods (meat, eggs, vegetables, and fruit). 

A couple of Melaleuca products that would be excellent to include in the diet because of their protein content and overall nutritional boost are ProFlex20 Shakes and ProFlex15 Bars. The bars are convenient to take along on winter walks in the sunshine, and doing this can address SAD in three ways (diet, exercise, and sunlight) at one time. The Unforgettables Dark Chocolate Bar is also a good addition to the SAD diet, due to its brain-boosting DHA omega-3 and ginkgo biloba. 

2. Supplements

Numerous supplements can provide a real lift for those dealing with winter blues. Vitality, with its various vitamins and minerals, provides a great all-around suupport for the body’s nutritional needs. One of its key components that can help to deal with SAD is vitamin D. Much vitamin D research has been completed in recent years, but more is still needed to fully understand how vitamin D affects mood. 

Recent studies, however, have shown that vitamin D may improve symptoms of depression. Vitamin D (also called the “sunshine vitamin”), when taken as a supplement, gives the body similar benefits that sunlight would give. The best source of vitamin D is the sun, but keep in mind that in many areas, it’s impossible to get much or any vitamin D from the sun during fall and winter. Many people are deficient in vitamin D; you can get blood levels checked to assess what dosage you might need to take in a supplement. 

Vitality also contains B vitamins, which have been shown to be beneficial for moods and to help with stress and the nervous system, as well as vitamin C, another important component for addressing SAD. 

Luminex is an excellent choice for those dealing with winter blues. It contains St. John’s Wort, which has been used for many years to treat various forms of depression, so it could be helpful for seasonal depression. It works to naturally maintain a balanced mood and healthy brain communication. The griffonia seed, vitamin B-12, and folic acid in Luminex can further support the brain’s neurotransmitters, including serotonin, which has been linked to SAD. (Caution: St. John’s Wort can have potentially dangerous interactions with some prescription medications and should not be taken with antidepressant medications. It may also cause skin photosensitivity.) 

Vitality Coldwater Omega-3 is another supplement to seriously consider taking, as research has shown that omega-3s can be helpful for moods. The body cannot create these fatty acids on its own, so it’s important to supplement them. Keep in mind, too, that a high percentage of the brain is made up of fat, so these healthy fats truly nourish the brain. 

RestEZ has the unique benefit of helping to establish a healthy sleep pattern, and as mentioned above, this is crucial with SAD. 

3. Light

Get as much sunlight as you can, particularly in the early morning if possible. True, that can be easier said than done, especially if the climate consists of gray skies, rain, and fog. When the sun does peek through, go outside and soak in the rays. You can combine this sunlight exposure with outdoor exercise, which also has been proven helpful. 

Try to spend as much time during the day as possible near sunny windows, and make your indoor environment as bright as possible. 

However, light therapy using a specially designed light box could be an even better option, especially if there is little sunlight where you live. It has been shown to be highly effective in many cases—some statistics say light therapy can be up to 80% effective at reducing or even eliminating symptoms of winter blues. The light box works by affecting the secretion of melatonin. Some studies even show that it’s more effective than taking supplements of melatonin. The recent study that discussed sensitivity in the retinas of the eyes of people with SAD showed that light therapy helped with this issue. 

Light therapy is a substitute of sorts for the real thing—natural sunlight—and seems to affect those brain chemicals discussed earlier in this report, the ones that contribute to SAD in the first place. 

The person who has SAD or winter blues sits in front of the light box for a certain number of hours per day and can engage in other activity (reading, working, and so on) while the body absorbs the beneficial light. Regular lightbulbs do not provide the same benefits as these light boxes do. The light boxes emit much brighter and more intense light. 

Some people may experience side effects to light therapy, such as headaches and eyestrain, so this option should be thoroughly investigated before trying it. Research into light therapy is ongoing. 

Also available are full-spectrum lightbulbs, which have been found to be helpful for SAD.  

4. Exercise

Research shows that exercise improves mood. It also lowers stress and anxiety, and in doing so it further lifts moods. True, it can be more of a challenge to exercise outdoors during the winter, because of the colder temperatures, ice and snow, and less daylight. You can set up a simple and inexpensive “gym” at home with a mini trampoline and some resistance bands or small weights. Or try out some exercise videos and DVDs. You can also think outside the box by exercising outdoors during colder weather—sledding, skating, and building a snowman can also be fun adventures and great ways to stay active. The fresh air that is enjoyed by being outside on a brisk day can also be therapeutic and mood enhancing. 

5. Rest and sleep

If you listen to your body’s signals, you’ll hear nudges to slow down during the winter months—you will likely feel like you need more sleep and rest than usual, and you might find your energy level being lower. So it’s wise to get plenty of sleep, because your body often needs and wants more sleep and rest in the winter. Also strive for a healthy, regular sleep/wake pattern, waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day. That will help to regulate those rhythms that were mentioned earlier in this report. And get up early so that you can enjoy sunlight in the mornings—this is the most beneficial time of day for absorbing sunlight when dealing with winter blues. 

6. Stress management and relaxation

Stress can make moods lower, so it’s important to reduce as much stress as you can. And then, given that it’s impossible to eliminate all stress, find ways to manage the stress that you do experience. Deep breathing, exercise (addressed earlier in this report), social interaction, and laughter are just a few ways to counteract stress. 

The G’Day Herbal Teas can be great for not just relaxing moments but also for warming up on cold, dark winter days. The ginseng and ginger, in particular, can help brain functioning. 

6. Aromatherapy

Smelling pleasing scents can boost mood, so the Sun Valley and Candle of the Month candles are great additions to the SAD-lowering repertoire. Various pampering-type items like lotions, Body Satin Foot Care Pampering Pack, and Sun Valley Nectarine Sugar Scrub can also be nice treats to lift moods. 

CONCLUSION 

Perhaps one of the biggest keys to coping with the winter blues is this: don’t resist the seasons or your body. It’s okay to slow down and rest more in the winter months. Adapt, and go with the flow, taking your cues from nature. Just as nature takes a rest—animals hibernate and trees shed their leaves—allow your body to be more in tune with nature. This means that if your body is telling you to rest and sleep more when the days are shorter and cooler, respect that and allow yourself the time for some extra R&R. 

Remember that after December 21 (the day of the year with the fewest hours of daylight), each day provides more daylight. So from that point on, each day is brighter than the previous one. The longer days of summer will arrive before you know it, with all the activity and busy-ness that they offer. So nurture yourself and provide your body what it needs during the winter, and take advantage of a slower pace while you can! 

IMPORTANT NOTE 

As is the case with any symptoms you experience, it’s wise to investigate and treat underlying medical conditions that could be causing symptoms of depression. For example, depression is a relatively common symptom of thyroid disorders. Also, if your symptoms of winter blues or SAD are interfering with your routine too much, seek the advice of a health care practitioner. 

1. Aubrey, Allison. Intense Light Still Best Treatment for Winter Blues. NPR. December 21, 2006. 

2. Bertone-Johnson, ER. Vitamin D and the occurrence of depression: causal association or circumstantial evidence? Nutr Rev 67(8), 2009.

3. Blaszczak, Jessica. 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Seasonal Affective Disorder.

4. Cheong, Josepha, Michael Herkov, and Wayne Goodman. Seasonal Affective Disorder.

5. Grohol, John. Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

6. Grohol, John. About the Winter Blues: An Introduction to Seasonal Affective Disorder.

7. Hansen, V., I. Skre, and E. Lund. What is this thing called SAD? A critique of the concept of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Epidemiol Psichiatr Soc 17(2), 2008.

8. Hegde, AL and H Woodson. Prevalence of seasonal changes in mood and behavior during the winter months in central Texas. Psychiatry Res 62(3), 1996.

9. Kamei, Y. Bright light therapy. Nippon Rinsho 67(8), 2009.

10. Kegel, M., H. Dam, F. Ali, and P. Bjerregaard. The prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in Greenland is related to latitude. Nord J Psychiatry 63(4), 2009.

11. Lavoie, MP, RW Lam, G Bouchard, et al. Evidence of a biological effect of light therapy on the retina of patients with seasonal affective disorder. Biol Psychiatry 66(3), 2009.

12. Levitt, AJ and MH Boyle. The impact of latitude on the prevalence of seasonal depression. Can J Psychiatry 47(4), 2002.

13. Lewy, Alfred J., Bryan J. Lefler, Jonathan S. Emens, and Vance K. Bauer. The circadian basis of winter depression. Proc Natl Acad Sci 103(19), 2006.

14. Magnusson, A. An overview of epidemiological studies of seasonal affective disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 101(3), 2000.

15. Magnusson, A. and T. Partonen. The diagnosis, symptomatology, and epidemiology of seasonal affective disorder. CNS Spectr 10(8), 2005.

16. Properly Timed Light, Melatonin Lift Winter Depression by Syncing Rhythms. National Institute of Mental Health, May 1, 2006.

17. SADA: The Seasonal Affective Disorder Association.  England, UK.

18. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Mayo Clinic

19. Westrin, A. and RW Lam. Seasonal affective disorder: a clinical update. Ann Clin Psychiatry 19(4), 2007.